Peritoneal Mesothelioma

January 1, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Mesothelioma Information

Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a very rare disease. Around 10-20 % of the documented mesothelioma cases are diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma. This type of mesothelioma affects the abdomen of the patient. The mesothelium cells of the abdomen behave abnormally in this disease. This disease is also caused by the oral inhalation of asbestos fibers.

The fibers travel through the entire digestive tract and settle in some part of the digestive systems. The mesothelium lining in that part starts dividing rapidly and the cells also have longer life spans. This causes tumors in the abdomen and this may also spread to other parts of the body.

The main symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation, fever, chest pain, loss of weight and breaking difficulties. Loose motions or constipation, a swollen stomach and chunks of tissues in the abdominal area are classic signs of peritoneal mesothelioma.

The disease is diagnosed in several ways using x-rays, IT scans, MRI, PET, Laparoscopy, Laparotomy, Thoracotomy and so on. The main risk factor for contracting this disease is exposure to asbestos fibers, and asbestos dust.

However some of the following factors also increase the risk of contracting this disease:

• A family that has a history of cancer i.e. hereditary risk factors.
• A smoker seems to have a higher chance of contracting the disease as compared to a non-smoker, who has had the same level and amount of exposure to asbestos fibers.
• Zeolite is a mineral which has properties very similar to asbestos and also seems to be as hazardous as asbestos.
• Thorium dioxide used in x-rays is also a trigger factor for cancer.

Article by: Archana Sarat:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Archana_Sarat

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